penny for your thoughts
by BittersweetSonata
Summary: Natsu confesses to Lucy via text. Only, he accidentally sends the message to someone else instead. Chaos ensues.


**notes: **This was fun to write, I have to admit. Inspired by my late-night text 'escapades' (although I can't say I've ever confessed to someone before) and the many times I've dropped my mobile and iPod on my face. 'Cause we've all done that at least once, don't lie.

**disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**dedication: **To ClumsyMustache, who is awesome and just cool, okay. You should totally go and check out her stories if you haven't already.

* * *

_{Break the plans we had before, let's be unpredictable} _

* * *

Natsu stared at the screen of his phone. It was late at night – almost two in the morning – and the bright luminescent light illuminated his face. His eyes were dangerously on the brink of shutting for good, but he didn't want to fall asleep just yet.

His thumbs did that weird dance thing as he decided what to reply to Lucy's text. The two had been texting on and off since they'd both arrived home from school, and he had yet to reply to his best friend's latest text.

_Yeah, so what do you think of Erza and Jellal together? :) _

The eighteen-year-old really didn't have a response – well, he would have normally, but right now there was something else on his mind. And Natsu always was a one-track thinker. Finally, after staring at the text for seven minutes, and having his phone screen go dim, he replied.

_As long as Erza's happy, I'm cool with it. _

He waited for her next text to come, torn between the state of just barely awake and almost asleep.

_Ding~_

The pinkette blinked a few times before attempting to read the message.

_We've been at this for hours, do you think we should get some sleep? I have it on good authority that Gildarts is planning on giving a 'surprise' pop quiz tomorrow in Fiorean history. _

Natsu snorted before replying.

_That 'good authority' being Cana? _

He received a reply almost immediately.

_What? No! _

A devious grin spread across his face as he typed out his reply.

_Oh come on Luce, we all know that Cana tells you when her dad is planning some kind of test, there's no denying it. :D _

It took about two minutes for her to reply.

_Yeah well, whatever. It doesn't matter who tells me, I tell you. Be thankful, because I saved you a few weeks ago on that Calculus test. _

Natsu groaned and dragged a palm down his face. She was right about that, he couldn't argue. Thinking back to her question, he narrowed his eyes.

_Are you tired of talking to me or something? Is there someone else?_

He could imagine her rolling her pretty brown eyes and scoffing.

_Yeah, that's totally it. 'Cause, you know, I'm definitely not falling asleep and dropping my phone on my face constantly. _

Natsu frowned at his phone's screen and typed out a reply.

_You should have just said so. Sweet dreams, Luce. _

Her reply came a few seconds later.

_Good night – or should I say morning, Natsu. :) _

He sighed and shut his phone of before tossing it onto the bed beside him. Sleep would probably be a good thing. He was bordering a C in Fiorean History, and it wouldn't hurt to do well on that 'surprise' pop quiz and not only shock Gildarts, but bring up his grade.

Lucy was always complaining about how he needed to put more focus into his education, and when he really thought about it, it didn't sound like that bad of an idea.

So, Natsu rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, hoping to get in at least four hours before he had to get up. He'd probably over sleep or something like that, but whatever. If he was late to class, he was late to class.

Only, after restlessly tossing and turning for a half hour, he just laid there, staring up at his ceiling. He couldn't sleep and unfortunately, he knew why. It was the same thing from earlier. In fact, it'd been bugging him for about two years now and was really starting to sabotage his life.

It was on his mind constantly, and no matter what he did, it would not go away.

He was in love with his best friend – Lucy Heartfilia – and had been for quite some time now.

And if he didn't do something about it now, he had a feeling things were only going to get worse than they already were.

Natsu groaned and reached for his phone, feeling among the twisted blankets and sheets until he found the mobile device. When he finally found it, he lifted it and typed in the passlock. The bright light the screen emanated blinded him for a minute or so. After regaining his sight, he selected his contacts, and scrolled through them until he reached Lucy's name.

He selected her, and waited for his phone to bring up their previous messages. Only, the phone slipped out of his loose grip and fell onto his face with a 'smack!' Natsu let out a startled grunt, and picked the device back up. He rubbed his cheek and glared at the mobile in his hand before returning to his task.

Nervousness and something akin to fear and depression twisted around in the teen's stomach, making him hesitate to go through with his original plan. But, after taking a deep breath and reassuring himself that everything would be okay, he typed out three little words with a whole lot of meaning.

_I love you. _

He gulped and hit the 'send' button, and after the message had been confirmed, he shut his phone off and tossed it onto his bed once more. There. The deed was done, so hopefully he could rest in peace for the reaming time he had left before he had to get up and prepare for school.

Natsu closed his eyes and felt himself relax, and pretty soon he was sound asleep.

But little did he know, that when he dropped his phone, it had messed up and selected a different contact. And of course he was too tired to notice the name was not 'Lucy' at the top, but rather someone else's.

So, the teen slept soundly, completely and blissfully unaware of the mess he'd just started.

* * *

The next morning found Natsu feeling better than he had in months. There was some weird and light feeling in his stomach, and it made him feel like there were butterflies and bubbles floating around in there. When he came down to breakfast all wide grin and extremely optimistic attitude, he was a different Natsu than he had been the past three months.

Igneel Dragneel stared at his only son suspiciously from behind his newspaper.

"Are you feeling okay, Natsu?"

Said teen looked up from his bacon and grinned brightly. "I'm great, dad. How about you?"

The older man narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly. "I'm…okay." he decided to change the subject. "Will Lucy be coming over after school today? Is she planning on staying for dinner this time?"

Natsu's grin almost blinded his father. "I think she's still supposed to come, yeah."

Igneel narrowed his eyes a bit more and continued to stare at his son – who didn't even notice for once – as the teen shoveled his breakfast down. Once the pinkette had finished, he stood up and grabbed his backpack.

"See you later, dad!"

The redheaded man's eyes were just little slits by the time Natsu had rushed out of the house. Twenty minutes early to school. Not to mention that he'd actually gotten out of bed on his own accord.

Igneel took a drink of his coffee and eventually turned back to his morning newspaper, his son's strange behavior still in mind.

* * *

Lucy had just arrived when Natsu ran into the school gates. The blonde blinked at him in surprise. "Natsu? You're here awfully early…did something happen?"

He gave her a wide grin. "Nah, nothing Luce."

She smiled back at him, although it was a little awkward. "Okay then. If you say so."

"Did you get my text?" he questioned as they sat down on a bench.

Lucy tore her gaze away from the sakura blossoms above him and blinked. "Did you not get my reply? I told you goodnight."

Natsu shook his head. "No, not that one. The one after."

The blonde tilted her head, brows furrowed. "Um, I didn't get another text."

His mouth twisted into a frown. "But I sent you another one."

Suddenly, she smiled. "Oh, did you dream it? You probably just thought that you sent me one because you did in your dream."

He was about to protest that, no, he had not dreamed it when an angry teen came storming over to the two. A phone was shoved in his face, and he grunted at the sudden movement.

"What the _hell _is this, Dragneel? Who do you think you are, sending me texts at three-thirty in the morning, let alone something like this crap?"

Lucy held up her hands. "Just hold on a minute, Gajeel. Let me see it." the blonde pulled the phone toward her and glanced at the screen.

Suddenly, she froze, and the sound of feet against the pavement made Natsu look up. Levy came to a stop behind Gajeel – the fuming teen turning to look at her. She was panting and breathless, hunched over with her hands on her knees.

"G – Gajeel, I told you to just wait a second. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for –," the petite blunette cut herself off when she noticed Natsu sitting next to a wide-eyed and speechless Lucy. "Oh no."

Natsu's brows furrowed and he grabbed Lucy's wrist, bringing the screen of the phone into his line of vision. "What is –," his jaw dropped at what he saw.

_From: Natsu Dragneel_

_To: Gajeel Redfox _

_Time: 3:34 a.m. _

_I love you. _

The teen suddenly started to hyperventilate, choking and sputtering on his words. Gajeel scowled at him, and crossed his arms.

"So?"

Lucy turned to him, a mortified expression on her face. "Natsu…do you…do you really…?"

Levy watched the small drama in front of her, completely unable to do a thing.

"W – what?! No! _No!_" Natsu shouted, crossing his arms in an 'x' motion.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to screw with me, Dragneel?"

The pink-haired teen pulled at his hair. "No! No, no, no! U – uh, see, I – I dropped my phone last night when I…," his voice died and his dark gaze shifted the blonde girl beside him.

Lucy watched him with a broken expression and unshed tears in her eyes. Oh crap, he'd hurt her feelings – albeit unintentionally. Oh no oh no oh no what to do, what to do?

"I dropped my phone when I was trying to send that message to Lucy!"

Gajeel blinked, before a grin spread over his face, and Natsu realized what he had just done. Levy smiled in relief from behind Gajeel. And Lucy…

"A – are you telling the truth? Do you really mean that?" the blonde asked, brown eyes wide.

Natsu awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, coughing when he felt his face begin to heat up. "U – uh, yeah. I…I do. I um, I love you, Luce."

The blonde's six hundred kilowatt smile could have blinded him. She flung her arms around him, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too! I've been waiting for you to say that for two years!" she gushed happily, pulling back to smile at him.

He grinned back at her. "That's good to know."

Lucy's smile softened and he felt himself leaning forward. The blonde closed her eyes and began to do the same.

Levy tugged on Gajeel's arm. "Come on," she whispered, and began the act of pulling him away, "I don't want to intrude on this."

The taller teen snorted but complied, and the two hurried away.

Natsu felt Lucy's smile as he kissed her, and he couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

**end notes: **Ending was rushed but I am tired and I have this thing I'm participating in tomorrow, and yeah. Btw, 5 Seconds of Summer are totally awesome and you should check them out. I'm not a big fan of boybands, but they are an exception.


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